SAP secretly built a rival workflow automation tool while publicly partnering with n8n, prompting board intervention
Executive summary: SAP maintained a public partnership with workflow automation startup n8n while an internal team covertly built a rival product. The board intervened after the dual-track approach was discovered. The incident undermines trust in SAP's partner ecosystem, a key growth lever for its Business Technology Platform, and may deter startups from deep integration with SAP.
Who is involved: SAP SE (board and internal development team), n8n (Berlin-based workflow automation startup), SAP partners and ISV ecosystem.
Likely next: SAP will likely clarify its partner policy and product roadmap; n8n may seek contractual protections or alternative platform alliances; enterprise buyers will scrutinise vendor lock-in risks.
Handelsblatt reports that an internal SAP team developed a competing product to n8n, a workflow automation startup, even as SAP executives celebrated the partnership on stage. The board has taken unspecified consequences. The episode highlights tension between large platform vendors and the specialist partners they rely on to extend their ecosystems.
Timeline
- — Softwareanbieter: SAP-Team entwickelte heimlich Konkurrenzprodukt zu Partner n8n (Handelsblatt)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- SAP partner summit (typically Q4) where partner rules may be updated
- n8n funding or partnership announcement within 6 months as response
- German cartel office (Bundeskartellamt) may review platform self-preferencing if formal complaint filed
Sectors affected
- Enterprise workflow automation
- iPaaS (integration Platform as a Service)
- SAP Business Technology Platform ecosystem
Regulatory implications
- Potential scrutiny under EU Digital Markets Act if SAP designated as gatekeeper; self-preferencing rules could apply
- German GWB §19a (dominant undertaking abuse) if SAP leverages ERP dominance to marginalise n8n
Historical parallels
- Microsoft vs. Slack (2016-2020): Teams bundled with Office 365 while partnering with Slack
- Salesforce vs. Vlocity (2017-2020): Built competing industry clouds after deep partnership
- Oracle vs. NetSuite partners (2010s): Developed competing SaaS modules after acquiring NetSuite
Key entities
Sources
- Softwareanbieter: SAP-Team entwickelte heimlich Konkurrenzprodukt zu Partner n8n — Handelsblatt
- Softwareanbieter: SAP-Team entwickelte heimlich Konkurrenzprodukt zu Partner n8n — Handelsblatt
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